


Home

by FallenFurther



Series: FabFiveFebruary2020 [6]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Brothers, Debrief, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Gen, References to Thunderbirds, Rescue, Rescue Missions, missing out, together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:54:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23286622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenFurther/pseuds/FallenFurther
Summary: Written for @gumnut's FabFiveFeb challenge. The bonus round.Jeff is home, but not all his boys are.Prompts: Home, Figure and Laughter.
Series: FabFiveFebruary2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1627462
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	Home

Jeff’s eyes flickered beneath the sunglasses. It was the second weekend he’d been allowed home and a rescue had dragged his boys away. It was bittersweet. His eldest sons, and mother, fussed over him while Gordon chatted incessantly, intent of catching him up on everything he’d missed. Alan, his little Alan, was still nervous around him. It was hard on both of them, Jeff knew. Seeing Alan so grown up, so tall, so responsible, was still a shock, and yet Jeff could still see the child he’d left behind beneath it all. It had only been three months since he had returned to Earth and there was still so much to adjust to. He was walking better now, for longer periods, and he was looking and feeling healthier. The doctor’s plans did include a strict diet, which thankfully only allowed for one home cooked meal a week, for the time being. Jeff surveyed the lounge from his advantage point. He had been reading old reports on the balcony, but the white bucket chair had proven too comfortable and he had fallen asleep. 

The room had subtle differences in it, but it still felt like home. From here Jeff could see John, sitting at his desk, his son’s soft voice coordinating the rescue. Jeff had watched the briefing from this spot and had seen the glance John had given him, as John sat down in the chair. Jeff had just nodded. It still wasn’t his place. Oh, Jeff planned to sit back at that desk, but first he had to get a feel for how the boys ran International Rescue now. Jeff need to understand what had changed, what was the same, and worked and what needed changing, and how he would fit back into the organisation. It was going to be a tough conversation to have, with Scott and John so used to heading up the rescues. Jeff was so proud of his sons. They had all gone above and beyond his expectations, though some had taken on more than they should have on their own. His thoughts drifting to Scott, his eldest, who had shouldered so much. Jeff knew he had to take some of it back; it had all become too much for one man. The logical thing would to be to take back Tracy Industries, and take a back seat with International Rescue, but International Rescue had been his brainchild, his second dream. 

His eyes fell on the ginger man, a smile forming as it always did at the sight of his family. John’s attention was on the figures and readouts that were displayed before him. The holograms of various brothers came and went, each updating John and receiving the information they required to continue. Forcing himself out the chair, Jeff lent against the rail to watch the relieved smile that crossed John’s face as the last person was rescued. John’s eyes stayed fixed on the readouts until all four of his brothers were safely in their machines and on their way home. Only then did Jeff see the man relax back into the chair, his fingers flicking and sorting the data in a less rushed manner. Jeff turned from the scene and headed down the steps to join it. He perched on the side of the desk. He watched as John typed up the report and filed the relevant data into a neat mission log, a format that Jeff was starting to become accustomed to. 

“Have a good nap, Dad?” John glanced up at him, giving him a quick smile, before continuing. Jeff squeezed the man’s shoulder. 

“Mighty fine one.”

“Scott will be home in five, and the others fifteen minutes after that.” 

Jeff nodded, his eyes already looking towards the swimming pool. He could still remember when he piloted Thunderbird One. The rush of adrenaline that was always released as her engines roared and forced him back into his seat, then the second release after entering the blue sky, changing to horizontal flight and letting her engines burn. Hitting Mach 20 from such a low speed had always been a thrill, something Scott shared with him. He could never keep that boy away from planes! 

John was spot on, and Thunderbird One soared into view, the pool retracted, and the ship slipped effortlessly back into its bay. The doors had been closed, but Jeff could always feel the force of the wind created by the machine. As he watched his mind tricking him into believing it was blowing through his hair. There had been so many things he had imagined over the past few years, sun on his skin, rain, food, his mother, his boys at various ages, his wife. All things he thought he’d never see again. But he had hoped, he had survived and now he was home, waiting for his eldest to emerge from the depths of the island.

Scott emerged as Thunderbird Two made her approach. Jeff smiled as his eldest strolled towards him. Back in his civilian clothes, skin clean of any dirt and hair dried and styled. Nothing about the man in front of him screamed ‘I’d just risked my life to save other’. The smile was returned. Scott gave Jeff’s shoulder a squeeze.

“How’d we do, Dad?”

“Top notch rescue, son.”

“He was asleep for most of it.” John piped in. Scott laughed. 

“You caught me! But I’m sure it was a job well done.”

The laughter was music to Jeff’s ears. There was still worry in the corner of Scott’s eye, but his son now was used to his frequent naps. Scott’s laugh always made his dimples appear and deepen; those dimples which Lucille adored. Another pat on his shoulder, and Scott headed towards the pool. 

“Thanks Dad.”

Jeff watched from his vantage point as Scott collected up the deck chairs and set them back around the pool. Bolting the things down only damaged them, and they were forever being forgotten to be put away. The memory of Scott’s training in Thunderbird One came to mind, especially his first attempts at landing through the pool. It had taken a few tries to get the aim right, and even after that a few tiles often got scorched or broken, but the young man had gotten there eventually. Though the deck chairs had been a little worse for wear after those attempts, one even ending up in the sea. Gordon had teased Scott about that for months after that incident. Jeff stood up and stretched when Scott re-entered, before joining his eldest on the sofa. Scott already had a tablet in hand, taking down bullet points ready to write up his report. It was not long until his youngest two joined them, their laughter alerting them that they were on the way, long before they entered the room. Their playful spirit still very much the same as when he’d left. Jeff was glad the bond between the two youngest was strong, and that Gordon was able to be the brother Alan needed him to be. How Jeff had missed Gordon’s jokes and cheek. When Virgil arrived, John joined the family and Jeff could sit in on his first debrief since returning to Earth. It was having his boys close that he’d missed the most.


End file.
